Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

Monica Buck

3.61

With our freeze-now, serve-later dishes, you can give your family a comfy meal on even the busiest weeknight. Cheesy, zesty, and studded with savory Italian sausage, our baked ziti feeds a crowd and then some — without much time spent in the kitchen.

Total Time: 1:20

Prep: 0:40

Cook: 0:25

Level:
Moderate

Yield:
2 casseroles

Serves:
8

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet and/or hot Italian sausage links

4 clove garlic

2 large red, green, and/or yellow peppers

1 jumbo onion

1 lb. sliced white mushrooms

1 can whole tomatoes in puree

1 can tomato puree

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. ziti or penne pasta

1 package shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

½ c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

In deep 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage on medium 10 minutes or until browned, stirring and breaking it up with side of spoon. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl.

In drippings in skillet, cook garlic, peppers, onion, and mushrooms, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 8 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, tomato puree, and salt; heat to boiling on medium-high, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook sauce 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, but cook 2 minutes less than recommended cooking time.